Mexborough and Swinton Times November 28, 1902
Condition of Denaby Main
A Hopeful Week
Last weekend a large number of notices were served upon miners living in the company’s houses, informing them that the colliery company intend to apply for ejectment orders today (Saturday).
The notices are in printed form, and bear the signature of Mr W.H. Chambers, the managing director of the Colliery Company.
Since the service of notices to give up possession of the houses, on the 8th inst. a considerable number of people have left the village. Empty houses are to be seen in every street. The greatest difficulty experienced by the miners families is the want of fuel. Men, women and children got daily on begging expeditions, and food is thus obtained, in addition to what may be bought with the strike pay. He some streets as many as four or five families have been observed living in one house in the daytime, and cooking food at the same fire. In this way the little fuel that can be obtained is made to do duty for a considerable number of people.
There is a fear that the company will put the ejectment orders into force and already the people are talking of camping out in tents. No doubt many will go to live with relatives and friends, and in this connection one cannot refrain from repeating a remark made the other night my personal said that in times like the present a man might have a church full of relations, but the pulpit would hold all his friends. Already very decisively suggest a suitable camping ground. There are amongst the miners a considerable number who have experience of life under canvas, either with the Army or the Volunteers, and should the worst come this experience will stand them in good stead.
It cannot be denied that, in spite of the ejectment notices the miners generally have had a much more hopeful time this week than at any other previous period of the strike.
In the first place, the visit of Mr W Parrott, the agent of the Yorkshire Miners Association on Monday morning was regarded as a good omen. Owing to the unsuitability of the train service, Mr Parrott and Stroud Conisborough to arrive before 9 AM or in the alternative arrive very late in the forenoon. With his usual anxiety not to be late he chose to travel on the early train.
A meeting of the men had been arranged to take place at 11 o’clock, and the fact that Mr Parrott and paid on the scene two hours before that time, was interpreted as meaning that he was arranging for a settlement. Rumour spread that the end of the site was in view, and there were a considerable number of Mexborough people really thought result of the meeting will be that the pits will be started in a short time. When Mr Parrott began to address the meeting was soon seen that he had no definite information to give. His speech which is reported fully in another column was listened to with great good attention, but the men only seem to relish the suggestion that seem to underlie his remarks.
More rumours of probable settlement were set about on Tuesday. In the forenoon the deputation members of the Mexborough Urban District Council and an interview with Mr WH Chambers, and early in the afternoon it was somewhat vaguely circulated that “the cloud had been lifted.” The members of the deputation, and had neither, nothing definite to communicate for publication, but it became known that Mr John Dixon and Mr G H Hirst, secretary of the Cadeby branch were going to Barnsley in the early afternoon to endeavour to induce the Barnsley officials of the Association to take renewed action.
Since Tuesday, much of the first enthusiasm raised by the statement about the “lifting of the cloud” as simmered down, but hopes have remained that Mr W H Chambers would agree to meet a deputation of officials representing the men.
It is felt that everything depends on the successful issue of the suggestion made by the Urban Council deputation, and it will indeed be hopeful sign with the colliery company can be induced to withhold their and in the matter of the application for ejectment orders.